Prospects for commercialization of indigenous chickens in Makoni District, Zimbabwe

摘要

Enhancingtheproductionandproductivityofindigenouschickenscanacceleratedevelopmentoftheruralsocialeconomyasindigenouschickensareanaffordablesourceofproteinaswellasaviableincomeearner.However,therearefewsuccessstoriesofthecommercializationofindigenouschickensinAfricasouthoftheSaharaascomparedtoAsiaandLatinAmerica.ThisstudythereforeinvestigatestheprospectsforboostingproductionofindigenouschickensinMakoniDistrictofZimbabwe.Itdoessobyassessingtheconstraintstocommercializationandidentifyingthefactorsthatsignificantlyexplainvariationinindigenouschickenoutputduringthedryseason.Atriangulationofdescriptiveandinferentialmethodsisusedtocomeupwithpossibleanswerstothecommercializationconundrumaswellsuggestivestrategiesforincreasedfood,nutritionandincomesecuritythroughindigenouschickencommercialization.Theresultsshowthatwhilerespondents(ruralfarmers)indicatedthattheindigenouschickenenterprisewasthemostpreferabletocommercialize,only20%oftherespondentsproducedbeyondsubsistencelevels.Toovercometheconstraintstocommercialization,thestudyfindsthatsupplementingfeedsandmedicationcanassistbyreducingmortalityratesandenhancingproductivity.However,byemployingavarietyofanalyticalmethodstotheresearchproblem,thestudyresultsalsosuggestthatfeedandmedicationsupplementarystrategiesshouldnotbeoveremphasizedbutratheraholisticapproachwhichcombinesthesewithsustainableanimalhusbandrypractices,forinstancehealthyandhazard-freehousing,aswellassufficientpriceandmarketincentives,isrequiredtoensuresuccessfulcommercializationofindigenouschickensinruralareassuchasMakoniDistrictinZimbabwe.